International Football
ANOTHER RUMBLE IN WORLD FOOTBALL AS ARGENTINE FA BOSS IS KICKED OUT OF FIFA COUNCIL
Argentine Football Association President, Claudio Tapia has been removed by the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) as its official representative on the FIFA Council.
This is as a result of his criticism of the continental governing body in an open letter published during this year’s Copa América.
The letter was published on July 3, the day after Argentina had lost 2-0 to host nation and eventual champions Brazil in the semi-finals in Belo Horizonte.
Tapi, who became an interim replacement on the 37-member FIFA Council in October 2018 after Uruguayan Wilmar Valdez was removed amid ongoing bribery allegations, claimed Argentina was “clearly harmed” by the Copa América’s refereeing and the poor quality of the pitches.
“Given the seriousness of the comments publicly used by Mr Tapia, considering the importance of his position, CONMEBOL has decided to withdraw with immediate effect its confidence in Claudio Tapia, thereby temporarily reducing CONMEBOL’s representation to FIFA,” the body said in a statement.
CONMEBOL also announced there will be an election to fill Tapia’s position, but did not set a date.
In the letter, Tapia also complained about Ecuadorian referee Roddy Zambrano for not checking the video assistant referee (VAR) in important moments of the match between Argentina and Brazil.
Argentina had two penalty claims turned down in the defeat, with Tapia alleging that Zambrano “unjustifiably omitted the use of VAR in at least two specific moves that clearly influenced the final result of the match”.
He also questioned whether “the principles of ethics, loyalty and transparency” had been observed.
Tapia blamed CONMEBOL’s refereeing director Wilson Seneme of Brazil for controversies on the pitch, complaining of “serious and gross refereeing mistakes”.
In another Argentina-related decision, captain Lionel Messi has been banned by CONMEBOL for one game and fined $1,500 (£1,200/€1,300) after being sent off against Chile in the Copa América third-place playoff and accusing the tournament’s officials of corruption.
Messi, the Barcelona icon who is widely considered as the world’s best player, clashed with Chile’s Gary Medel in an off-the-ball incident where both men bumped chests.
Paraguayan referee Mauro Diaz de Vivar waved two red cards after the 37th minute flash-point and Messi later made the accusations of corruption while failing to collect his bronze medal.
He said he was sent off because he criticised the officials after Argentina’s loss against Brazil and claimed that the referee “overreacted” at the Arena Corinthians and that a yellow card for both players would have been fair.
Messi’s ban is expected to be served in Argentina’s first qualifier for the 2022 World Cup.
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Well-travelled Portuguese coach Paulo Duarte has been named as Guinea’s new coach, less than a month before their next round of World Cup qualifiers.
Duarte, 56, has twice previously coached Burkina Faso and taken charge of Gabon and Togo, while also coaching at clubs in Portugal, France, Tunisia, Angola and Saudi Arabia.
Guinea’s football federation gave no contract details when they made the announcement on Monday, but said they would be looking for Duarte to “restructure their national team”.
Guinea trail leaders Algeria by eight points in their World Cup qualifying group with four games remaining, leaving them with only a slim chance of qualification.
They play Somalia away on September 5 and then Algeria at home on September 8 in their next two qualifiers although a stadium ban means Guinea have moved their home game to Casablanca, Morocco.
-Reuters
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Veteran coach Louis van Gaal says he has been cured of cancer and is keen for a return to the higher levels of the game.
The 73-year-old announced three years ago that he was suffering from prostate cancer, but told a Dutch television talk show, “I’m no longer bothered by cancer.”
When he announced his illness, Van Gaal was the coach of the Dutch national team, but he has not worked since the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
“Two years ago, I had a few operations. It was all bad then. But it all worked out in the end. I have check-ups every few months, and that’s going well. I’m getting fitter and fitter,” he said.
Van Gaal, whose career has included stints at Ajax Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, reiterated a lack of interest in returning to club management but said becoming the national coach of a top-tier country could tempt him back.
He now serves as a special advisor to Ajax.
-Reuters
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In a compelling twist of football destiny, Davide Ancelotti is stepping into his own spotlight as he begins his first head coaching role at Brazilian club Botafogo—just months after parting ways with his legendary father, Carlo Ancelotti, at Real Madrid.
The 35-year-old has been appointed as Botafogo’s new manager, the club announced on Tuesday, following the sacking of Renato Paiva. Davide, who has spent the last decade working alongside his father at some of Europe’s top clubs—including Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton, and Real Madrid—has signed a one-year deal with the Rio-based team.
This marks a significant milestone for the younger Ancelotti, whose career has long been shaped by his father’s influence, but who now faces the challenge of carving his own identity on the touchline.
The move comes shortly after both father and son departed Real Madrid at the end of last season, with Carlo taking over the Brazilian national team. Now, in a poetic alignment, father and son find themselves on different paths within Brazilian football—one leading the Seleção, the other steering the fortunes of a storied domestic club.
Botafogo’s decision to appoint Davide follows a controversial parting with Paiva, who was dismissed just days after their exit from the Club World Cup. Though he oversaw a stunning win over Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain, a 1-0 extra-time loss to Palmeiras in the round of 16 proved to be his final act after just four months in charge.
As Davide Ancelotti begins this new chapter, all eyes will be on whether the son of one of football’s most decorated managers can step out from his father’s shadow—and perhaps, in time, build a legacy of his own.
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